Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



Breach-Loading Fire-Arm Panted Aug. 15, 1865.

UNITED STATESI PATENT w. F. WILSON AND HENRY FLATHER, or Bnionsnuno, PENNSYLVANIA.

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'IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,463. dated August l5, 15865.

To all whom if may concern: piece F to` be turned down into the barrel he- Be it known that We, WV. F. WrLsON and hind the cartridge D and piston C.

HENRY FLATHER, both ot'Bridesbnrg, in the The boring of the rear end ot' the barrel is county oi" Philadelphia and Stare ot' Pennsyliiecessaryin order to adniitottlie nseot'lianfred Vania, have invented certain new and uset'nl cartridges and toprovidea slionldi-r,b t'oisnch by d eclare the following to be a full and exact As a ineaiis ot' attachment t'or the hinge or description ofthe same, reference being had to pivot F', upon which the breecli-piece F turns, t e accompanying' drawings, making part of we provide a boss or projection, B2, which is this-specification, in which` secured to the brcech-pin B by brazing or oth- Fignre l is a side elevation ot'a common erwise. After the boring operation the breeclimnsket embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a pin B is reinserted; detached view ot' the barrel, illustrating the The piston U is attached by a pivot, c, to tlic construction of the movable breech-piece and link C', which is pivoted to the breech-piece. F

the method of applying' the saine to the ordiby a screw or pin, c', so that the piston C will narymuzzle-loadinglire-arms. Fig. 31s aplan he advanced when the breech is closed and reof the parts represented in Fig. 2, and also l `Iracted when it is opened, the link C working section in the line w or, Figs. 2 and 3, looking` directly in front ot'tliatpartot'the b 1eech-piece from the front. Fig. 5 is a vertical loiigitiidiwhich extendsdown info the bore iii the closed nal section on the line y y, Fig. 3. condition ofthe parts. Being thus inserted hclireech-pin Fconstitutes for the piston C a hearing ot great strength, to receive the force ofthe recoil upon the explosion ofthe charge I ot' converting common muzzle-loading guns l It is desirable that` the force ot' tlie'eirplo-v into breech-loaders. Another object is to prosion should be transmitted in a direct line, or vide novel and improved devices for advancat right angles from that part of the breeching the cartridge to its firing position Within t e bore, receiving and sustaining the recoil, and extracting the shell of the cartridge. A

further object 1s to adapt theeXploding-pin to f/in a slot,f2. This method ot' lii ging the lock the breech-hloclrin position tor firing, and breech-piece allows the rear face of that part thus render unnecessary the employment ot' a ofit which enters the bore to describe a curve separate bolt or other locking device. (on a inovable center in its vibration, thns to this end We make the axis of vibration of our invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, We will proceed to describe the manner of carrying it into effect.

In the drawings, A B represent the present c2 c2 are guides or projections on the piston Springfield mnsket, having all its usual appnr` C, moving ingrooves formed one on either side tenances with the exception of the cone, and ofthe bore, as indicated b vdotted lines in Fig. converted into a breech-loading gun by our 3. In addition to ihei'r functions ot' guiding method, which is as follows: t e piston C in proper position, the projections e bore ont the barrel immediately in front c2 serve as ejectors ot' the empty cartridgethe breecli-piece F movable by fitting the pin` ofthe breech-pin B to a sutticient extent to acshells, for which purpose they are notched to commodate the cartridge andthe advancing` receive the flange of thc cartridge. The openshown in Fig. 3. Next we cnt away aportioii mit of the insertion ofn the flange of the cai'- ofthe barrel,as at E, Fig. 2, to allow the breechtridge at but one point, which is recessed, as

breech-piece F, and may be driven forward against the base ot' the cartridge by the hammer H. rI he pin Gis retracted by means of a knob or nager-piece, G', when the breech-piece is to be turned to its open position. The movement of the pin G may be limited by a screw passing through the slot g'.

ln using a gun of the above construction the seen atb' b' ,said openingbeing at other points smaller than the diameter of the bore and base ot' the cartridge. rlhe piston C, when retracted, occupies so much ot' the recesses b' b' that only sufficient room will be left to accommodate the cartridge, and directly beneath the Ipoint where the flange of the cartridge must necessarily enter will be the notches in the projections c2 c2, which must invariably receive the Jflange of the cartridge when the latter is placed in the gun. After being thus inserted the cartridge will slide freely to the pressure of the piston C until its iiange comes in contact with the shoulders b b in the bore, when the parts occupy the relative positions representedin Fig.5. On the openingofthebreechpiece the notched projections, acting upon the iiange ofthe cartridge,retract the shell to the position which it occupies when iirst inserted, and from which it may be readily shaken or otherwise removed from the bore.

G represents a pin or bolt, which is iinpelled forward by the' hammer H against the fulminate base ot' the cartridge, to produce the explosion thereof. lIhe piu G is adapted to slide longitudinally within the breechpiece F, and is provided with a spring, G', which acts upon the pin G to project its forward end, g,beyond the front of the breech-piece F. The end g is beveled, so as yto canse the pin to yield backward lush with the front of the breechpiece F, to pass the upper side of the barrel during the closing ot' the breech-piece, after which the pin G resumes its advanced position, projecting beneath the upper side of the \Yitnesses: barrel and resting within a slot, c3, in the pis- WASHiNGTON SPANGLER., ton C. In this position the pin G locks the i WM. M. SMiERR.

cartridge can be conveniently inserted when the piece is at "present a-rins,7 with the muz- Zle up, so that it can be used by infantry in the ranks without danger.

Having thus described ourinventiou, the following is what we claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The hin ged breech-piece F, having a movable aXis of vibration in being opened and closed,in combination with the piston C, which moves in line with the bore, operates against the base of the cartridge, and is locked by said breech-piece, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the piston C, having projections c", for guiding it by sliding in grooves, as described, lthe link C', caused to advance and retract the piston in line with the barrel during the opening and closing movements of the breech-piece F, and entering the grooves j' when the breech-piece is closed, for the purpose explained.

3. rlhe exploding-pin G, having a knob or finger-piece, G', when used for locking the breech-piece, as set t'orth.

NV. F. WILSON. HENRY FLATHER. 

